Travel guide

ABSTRACT

A map display device, attachable to the steering post of a car, combines a continuous roll arrangement and a sighting window incorporating a sliding magnifier.

. United States Patent 1191 11 1 3,805,429 Thompson 1 Apr. 23, 1974 TRAVEL GUIDE 2,747,465 5/1956 Cardon 40/86 R Inventor: Durwood G. o p o 4 0 2,591,844 4/1952 Macrlpo 40/86 R Marlboro 81., Orlando, Fla. 32806 I Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell [22] Flled' 1973 Assistant Examiner.1. H. Wolff [21] App]. No.: 325,865 Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Duckworth, Hobby & Allen [52] U5. C1 40/86 R 51 Int. Cl. G09f 11/00 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 40/86 R Amap display device, attachable t6 the steering post f of a car, combines acontinuous r011 arrangement and [56] UNITE? ZFF ES :Z'i'rENTS a sighting window incorporating a sliding magnifier.

2,221,451 11/1940 Jones 40/86 R 4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures 34 T11 PM 1 TRAVEL GUIDE This invention relates to motor travel aids and accessories, and more particularly to devices for reading road maps.

A principal object of this invention is to provide an enclosure on which a strip map is rolled off one cylinder and onto another cylinder, the space between the rollershaving a window provided with a sliding magnifier. The magnifier is attached to accordian-type collapsible clear plastic windows. Internal illumination means and a steering post attachment complete the unit. While driving from point to point, the map is moved along by turning a thumb wheel. 'At each position of use, the magnifier may be slid from left to right while the remainder of the window portion is left clear without magnification.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the type described that is easy to install, simple and fast in use, rugged in construction and yet low in close.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a general view, partly broken away;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view partly broken away;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation view partly broken away.

The art shows that methods have been sought to do. away with the nuisance of stopping the car, unfolding a map, refolding it to the area desired and then having the map lying about loose while trying to drive and look at the map at the same time. Suchdevices have been either cumbersome, impractical or expensive for the job it has to do. The present invention has a novel, inexpensive construction that will be found useful to drivers in industry as well as tourists.

Referring to the figures, the travel guide shows a box-like enclosure 11 accessible by opening a cover 12 held by a pair of hinges 12a. Internally the upper section of box 11 mounts a roller 13 accessible by a protruding thumb-wheel 13a and at the lower end a roller 14 accessible by a thumb-wheel 14a. Each roller is pro-. vided with a slot 15 for receiving the tab 16 that is provided at each end of a belt or strip map 17.

A window 18, extending the full workable width of map 17, is bordered at the upper edge by a track 19a and at the lower edge by a track 19b for receiving slideably a magnifying window 20. The left and right edges of window 20 are joined respectively to clear plastic members 21a and 21b that are designed to flex in accordian fashion as is clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

A lamp 22 wired either directly to a plug in the cigarette lighter socket or indirectly to any other point in the battery circuit, illuminates the interior of the enclosure so that the map can be read easily, particularly when driving at night. A switch, not shown, may be incorporated in any suitable manner.

Box 11 is mounted through a universal joint 23 to a circular clamp 24 for attachment to the steering post 25.

When a route has been planned, a conventional map is cut up and rejoined and, formed with tabs 16, complete a belt 17 for attachment into both rollers. Strip maps that are provided to tourists through member organizations merely need to be joined together and tabs 16 formed at the ends for ready insertion into the invention. The operator of a vehicle, while driving, need only turn the thumb wheel one way or the other, and, sliding the magnifier window left or right, read the map from the driving position without distraction from the road ahead.

What I now claim is:

l. A travel guide for attachment to the steering post of a motor vehicle comprising:

an enclosure having an elongate: rectangular opening therein;

a pair of rollers rotatably mounted in said enclosure;

. a strip map attachable at each of its two ends to one of said rollers respectively;

a thumb wheel attached to each roller and extending out of said enclosure;

a magnifier window means for slidably mounting said magnifier window in said opening;

two foldable rectangular windows each of said windows being attached along opposite sides thereof to an end of said opening and an edge of said magnifier window;

illuminating means within said enclosure and located behind said strip map;

external mounting means for attachment of said travel guide to a steering post of a motor vehicle and wherein sliding movement of said magnifier window causes one of said foldable windows to open into a substantially straight configuration while the other of said foldable windows collapses in accordion fashion, thus allowing the magnifier window to highlight and pinpoint a particular position on the map.

2. A travel guide as recited in claim 1 wherein said foldable windows comprise a clear plastic.

3. A travel guide according to claim 2, wherein said external mounting means incorporates a universal joint for adjustment to the drivers seating position.

4. A travel guide of the type described in claim 1, wherein said map is provided at each end with a tab for ready insertion into a slot in said rollers. 

1. A travel guide for attachment to the steering post of a motor vehicle comprising: an enclosure having an elongate rectangular opening therein; a pair of rollers rotatably mounted in said enclosure; a strip map attachable at each of its two ends to one of said rollers respectively; a thumb wheel attached to each roller and extending out of said enclosure; a magnifier window means for slidably mounting said magnifier window in said opening; two foldable rectangular windows each of said windows being attached along opposite sides thereof to an end of said opening and an edge of said magnifier window; illuminating means within said enclosure and located behind said strip map; external mounting means for attachment of said travel guide to a steering post of a motor vehicle and wherein sliding movement of said magnifier window causes one of said foldable windows to open into a substantially straight configuration while the other of said foldable windows collapses in accordion fashion, thus allowing the magnifier window to highlight and pinpoint a particular position on the map.
 2. A travel guide as recited in claim 1 wherein said foldable windows comprise a clear plastic.
 3. A travel guide according to claim 2, wherein said external mounting means incorporates a universal joint for adjustment to the driver''s seating position.
 4. A travel guide of the type described in claim 1, wherein said map is provided at each end with a tab for ready insertion into a slot in said rollers. 